Improvement in car-couplings



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Car-Couplings. N0.149,7I8.. Patented Aprill4,l874.

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SAMUEL B. CARLTON AND REUBEN IMPROVEMENT INCAR-COUPLINGS.

PA NT CFFICE.

IV. KILLMEB, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,718, dated Ap1ill4, 1874; application filed March '7, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL B. CARLTON and REUBEN W. KILLMER, of Bloomington, in the county of McLean and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,

' and exact description thereof, reference being 'had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of a car provided with our improved attachments, the link being in its usual condition when uncoupled. Fig.2 is a like view of the same with the link raised to position for coupling. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of said car, showing the coupling-pin released from engagement with the link and suspended in a raised position. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same, showing the same arrangement of "parts as in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is an end elevation of said car, showing the couplingpin in engagement with the link. a

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The design of our invention is to lessen the dangers attendant upon the coupling and uncoupling of cars, by enabling the necessary manipulation to be effected without the presence of the operator between the ends of the cars; to which end it consists, principally, in the means employed for securing the coupling pin in position, when raised and released from engagement with the link, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. It consists, further, in the means employed for raising the outer end of the link, so as to enable it to enter the mouth of the opposite drawhead, substantially as is hereinafter shown.

In the annexed drawings, A represents the box or body of an ordinary car, provided with supporting-trucks B and draw-bars 0, all of usual construction. Pivoted loosely to or upon the upper end of the coupling-pin D is a rod, E, that from thence passes upward through suitable guides F and F attached to the end of the car, and has its upper end within convenient reach of the hand of a person standing upon the top of the latter, so as thereby to enable said coupling-pin to be raised and withdrawn from engagement with a link, G. When raised to its highest point, the flattened end (I of the coupling-pin D may be moved rearward into a corresponding slot provided in a plate, H, that is attached'to the end of the car, when the lower end of the rod E will rest upon the upper side of said plate and hold said rod and coupling-pin suspended, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4.

To release the coupling-pin, it is only necessary that the upper end of the rod E should be moved rearward, so as to throw forward its lower end and with it said pin, when said parts will automatically fall to place.

In order that the couplingpin may be manipulated from the sides of the car, two bars,'I and I, are pivoted at their inner ends to or upon the rod E, and from thence extend outward through suitable loops or slotted bearings i and i, that are attached to the end of said car, midway between the sides of the lat ter and said rod E. The bearings i and "i operate as fulcrums, so that by depressing the outer end of either bar I its inner end will be raised, and with it the rod E and couplingpin D. To enable the outer end of a link, G, to be raised and guided into the open end of a draw-head, when coupling two cars together, a curved or angular bar, K, is pivoted at or upon its longitudinal center, beneath the draw bar 0, at such a distance from the outer end of the latter as to cause the outer end of said bar K to project slightly beyond the same when raised to a horizontal position. Upon the outer end of the bar K is loosely secured a head, 70, that extends upward therefrom at a right angle, and has such length as to enable its end to strike against and raise the link D, when said bar is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2. The rear end or arm of the bar K is slotted longitudinally and horizontally, and within such slot k is contained a crank, l, which is formed upon a rod, L, that is journaled transversely within suitable bearingsl, beneath and near the end of the car. Each end 5 of said rod L is turned upward at a right angle, and furnishes a handle or lever for rotating the same within its bearings, so as to cause its crank to move the slotted end of the bar K, as may be desired.

As thus arranged, it will be seen that the operator can stand at one side of the car and,

the coupling-pin so as to lock said link in position.

The link guiding mechanism is operated from the top of the car by means of a rod, M, that extends from said top downward through suitable guides m and m, and has its lower end pivoted upon one arm of a bell-crank, N, which crank is in turn pivoted beneath the end of said car, and has the end of its opposite arm n extended laterally in rear of one side of the crank Z. If, now, the rod M is drawn upward, the rear arm 'n, of the bell-crank N will be thrown downward so as to operate the rod L and lever K, and cause the outer end of the link to be raised, as before.

The mechanism described is simple, efficient, and durable, will add but slightly to the cost of a car, and by its use will entirely obviate the necessity for the dangerous manipulation of the coupling devices ordinarily required.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of our invention, what we claim as new is- 1. In combination with the coupling-pin D, suspended from the rod E, and made vertically adjustable within the draw-head O, the'slotted plate H attached to the end of the car A, and fitted to receive the upper end of said pin, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

2. In combination with the link G, the bar K, k, and is, pivoted beneath the draw-head O, and operated by means of the crank-rod L, l, and Z, the rod M, and the bell-crank N a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 4th day of March, 1874.

SAMUEL B. CARLTON. REUBEN W. KILLMER. 

